-
November 15, 2016 (edited)
In the top third of the 20 NYE shows. It actually all takes place in '73, which is interesting because it SOUNDS like a '73. There's a big, 2½ hour second set. In typically weird GD fashion, at 3AM they suddenly take off. Unfortunately there were crowd injuries and the city almost shut down Bill Graham and/or Winterland. The show is also known for no Pigpen, and the guy that was found hanging high up under the ceiling, stopping the show.
First Set.
Around & Around is uptempo, but that's not advantageous and by
Mexicali it's a bit sloppy.
Jack Straw & Beat it on Down the Line-10 are good but it's not until the end (a great
Tennessee Jed) that things stand out as above average.
Playing in the Band has some Donnaskreech™ but is still a way nice, big one and Billy is hot. The official version not only cuts the ending but has a weird tape waver not on this source.
Casey Jones is almost a perfect version - though it didn't vary much at the time, Jer finds an approach and check Keith.
Second Set. Jer rushes
Promised Land - no solo - to get to a great
Half Step, but then he's mixed too low for
Big River. The
Truckin' jam doesn't go many places but is played well. Post-Drums is where the show really takes off. The Drum & Bass jam has Keith joining in, then Jer, and goes way out there for '72/'73.
The Other One makes it over 33min before the lyrics (is that a record?). The
Morning Dew isn't the biggest but has great tones. Then the guy stuck way up high, hanging under the ceiling thing happens.
Sugar Magnolia is fantastic and sounds like a '74.
Sing Me Back Home is a quintessential version - if it has fans, then pretty sure this is better than the E72s.
JBG is well-played, with no Donnaskreech™, but the final two are great. Wedged between two rockers,
Uncle John's is infected - upbeat and with Billy double-timing. The existing recordings of
One More Saturday Night aren't great but Jer is.
1st Set: C+
2nd Set: B
Overall = 3½ Stars
Highlights:
Playing in the Band - big version
Casey Jones - Jer makes the effort; check Keith
Mississippi Half-Step - about to be a big '73 song
Jam>The Other One - big post-Drums TOO
Sugar Mag - anachronistically like a '74
Sing Me Back - probably as good as it ever got
Uncle John's Band - more of a rock version
One More Saturday Night - wee-hour energy leaving it all on the stage
SOURCES: The Bertha is the most complete source, though the last three songs are pitched slow (JBG & UJB
need +1% and 1MSN
needs +2%). The
wier.6340 has better clarity and is brighter, but also slightly noisier, with less image, pitch discrepancies, and lots of cuts (the
unknown.1563 is the same source but out of order). Playing in the Band is a bonus on
The Closing of Winterland (albeit with the final half minute inexplicably edited), which also has a hidden cut of Bill Graham talking to the rafter guy.